Breads from the Old Country in Italian Brooklyn

For lovers of old-country Italian bread, New York isn’t what it was. That’s why Brooklyn Chowhounds closely track the dwindling number of bakeries that still do it right. In Bensonhurst, they include Il Fornaretto, whose Palermo-style breads balance a crisp crust and great crumb, and Royal Crown for Calabrian-style peasant loaves. And in another shrinking Italian quarter, Williamsburg’s Napoli Bakery is a longtime ‘hound destination for lard or semolina loaves, among others.